The use of foldable cardboard boxes for shipment and storage of goods is well known. Likewise, the use of boxes with folding flaps to achieve reusability by sparing the box from cutting or tearing is well known, see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 2,337,039 to Gardner, U.S. Pat. No. 2,713,965 to Acker and U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,187 to Faires et al., incorporated herein by reference. Typically, these boxes are constructed using various cutout designs wherein the end flaps interlock to close the box. Such designs are uniformly flawed in that repeated use of the cutout end flaps renders the boxes structurally unsound and results in an unattractive and unusable box.
The present invention is a unique box or carton designed to provide a durable, reusable container which resists the wear and tear of repeated openings and closings of the box. The present invention is especially useful in containing goods which are normally closely inspected by customers prior to being purchased, for example, drum heads.
Goods such as drum heads are sold in music stores or specialty stores where the goods are typically displayed on the wall or on a display rack. Often a musician likes to look at and test a drumhead before he or she purchases it and music stores are not only amenable to such inspection but often encourage it. However, repeated opening and closing of the drumhead box for inspection inevitably results in deterioration of the box, especially the closure flaps which are easily torn and dog-eared. In the case of a box that is glued closed, the initial opening of the box results in a deterioration of the appearance of the box which can not be remedied. As a result, customers are inclined to view the goods as damaged based on the ragged appearance of the box and are not disposed to purchase the item, leaving retailers with a difficult item to sell.
The present invention overcomes this problem by providing a box that is resistant to the wear and tear of repeated inspections by a customer. The design of the present invention allows the box to be opened and closed countless times and still retain the structural soundness and aesthetic appearance of a new box. The novel design of the present invention allows the box to be fabricated from lightweight materials such as cardboard without the deterioration normally seen in cardboard boxes.
In addition, the novel design of the present invention allows assembly of the box from a single blank without the use of glue or adhesive, thereby eliminating the cost of a secondary operation and materials for a manufacturer as well as reducing environmental impact. The ability of the present invention to be fabricated from recycled material further reduces environmental impact.
The present invention also is constructed to include a means for hanging the box for display purposes.